Flow in Training is NOT Your Goal
The flow state was first identified by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in the 1960s. It was presented as an ideal state for artists, performers, and athletes. Individuals that experienced this unique state described it as a state of intense focused concentration, getting lost within the moment, time distortion (i.e., time has sped up or slowed down), and enjoyment of the process. In many cases, the performance that occurred within these flow states also appeared to be heightened.
As a result, a lot of emphasis was placed on achieving this flow state more consistently. Athletes seek ways to enhance their performance through maintaining this type of state on a regular basis. As the awareness of this flow state increased, athletes have begun to believe that good sport performance is only a result of being in the flow state. Since everyone wants to enjoy their sport and to perform well, this notion has expanded to include any time spent within their sport. This idea that all interactions with sport by an athlete should be within this flow state is WRONG.
The reality is that, to achieve a flow state, certain conditions must be present.
Just-manageable challenges
The person has the skills to match the challenges
Clear goals with immediate feedback
To enter into the flow state, an athlete has to have the skills in place in a consistent manner AND be taking on a challenge that is not too easy nor too difficult AND have clear goals with immediate feedback. At times, this occurs during competition when you face an opponent who is closely matched to your skill set so that you know you have a reasonable chance of winning but it is not a complete guarantee.
In training, however, you are purposefully taking on challenges that are out of your reach. You are working to develop your skills so that they become consistent. Training is not a situation in which flow state should be expected to occur. Instead, training will often be hard, challenging, and frustrating. The purpose of training isn’t to reach a flow state (you won’t get any better in that state) but to enhance your skills so that you are better prepared to enter into a just-manageable challenge within a competition and can, perhaps, achieve a flow state.
Embrace the difficulty of training.
Stop looking for flow when you are fighting to improve your abilities.
It’s not the goal.
P.S. While a flow state is enjoyable and beneficial, it is unnecessary to achieve success in competition.
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